02
Loki watches the axe as Stormbreaker lifts it, “Last chance to stay, none of you need to come along.” the older Thor says roughly. Around him, the humans coming along, Captain America, Black widow, Agent Hill, Iron Man who looks as nervous as a lowly human entering into space unknown would and should, and his Thor nods their acceptance to the risks. Well aware that should they fail to bring Stormbreaker close to Thanos, all will be lost regardless.
Stormbreaker looks at Loki pleading for him to stay back. He swallows the spit gathered in his mouth and nods his agreement out of spite. Loki will not be hindered by fear.
In a split second, nothing. Then suddenly the Bifrost opens and swallows them up, pulling them along. The human’s yelp, unfamiliar with the bend and drag of the rainbow bridge. Thor grips Captain America to him when the human comes close to flinging himself out of the Bifrost’s pull and into some unknown part of space.
It would certainly be a joy to watch the human blunter his way through the unfamiliar space of those better than himself.
They arrive on the jagged suspended rocks that make up Thanos’ sanctuary. The asteroid field is lit by the nearby star, giving them dim but seeable light from through the mass of asteroids. Among the asteroids, spaceships hide between the jagged shapes. Off to the side there is a suspicious gap in the asteroids, that only ships occupy.
“Oh my God.” the Human Stark jitters out, his voice distorted behind the helmet of his amour that he'd closed on the trip through the Bifrost Stormbreaker summoned.
“No need to call for me human, I'm quite near.” Loki says with a wicked grin and the nervous human turns to him, the mask of his amour falling away.
“You're not a God, you're a reindeer,” The human says cuttingly. “Where's Santa, Rudolph? You need to get the gifts out in time.”
A few of the humans snicker as they spread around the area, Thor stares confused at his new shield brother, no doubt feeling just as confused by the strange comment as Loki does.
Stormbreaker laughs. “We do not celebrate Christmas as you do Tony,” He says, “Besides, the horns of Brother's helmet is more like those of a Nidhøg.”
“A what.” Stark asks immediately.
“A type of dragon, almost got eaten by one once,” Stormbreaker muses and puts the axe in his hand down in front of him, resting his palms on the handle. He looks around, frowning. “Loki, do you know which ship is his primary one?” he asks.
“I was never on any of the ships.” He hadn't even been dignified with a room or even a cell. Thanos had preferred to keep him trapped on one of the distant asteroids. Too far away from the nearest to teleport.
Romanoff scoffs an animalistic sound. “He's probably in the biggest one. Baddies like their ridiculous shows of power and ego.”
“I resent that comment.” Stark says sharply, though there is a grin in the human’s voice as Romanoff chuckles.
Stormbreaker raises his axe and smiles with familiar bloodlust, “Let's go find him then!” Lightning and magic gather around him as he takes off from the asteroid, it changes course just slightly.
Thor flashes them a small smile and lets the pull of Mjølnir pull him into space.
Stark groans, lifting up. “Well, I'm off I guess.”
“Be careful,” Rogers says quickly.
“Who do you think I am?” Stark says and launches off to search with a shockwave that nearly sets Agent over the edge of their platform.
“Stark!” She shouts.
“Sorry Hill!” Starks voice comes from her earpiece, only responded to with a deep sigh.
Loki glances at the humans around him, breathing somewhat shallower than he knows is normal for them. Taking a deep breath to confirm the air density in the area, he subtly spreads his magic out and gathers the oxygen normal for them. Having them faint in a fight would only make them liabilities.
If they hadn't been stubborn little creatures that insist to be involved in everything, it would have been much easier. Though Loki admits they could probably be useful for something.
Not that he's sure. They are quite the pathetic creatures.
Soon Thor's voice comes through the human’s earpieces, “I believe I found the spacecraft that Thanos holds himself on. It's at least five times as big as the largest one I've seen. I'll head right bac--”
BOOOOOOOOOOOM!
Fire flares in the distance as one of the distant spaceships blow up in a show of pure destruction. Followed quickly another, and then another. The asteroid shakes from shockwaves.
The humans look pale as they stare out at the ships, no doubt unused to this level of raw destructive power at the hands of one person. Though Loki wants to scoff at them and their primitivity, he too stands in awe in at the destruction that only Stormbreaker could have wrought. Thor is strong, but he has never been able to tear through ships of that size.
“Sorry!” Thor-- no-- Stormbreaker shouts into his earpiece, the explosions and destruction rage in the background and the sound distorts as another spaceship blows up. “I got too close!” He doesn't sound sorry at all. It's a tone Loki knows well, and it sends a shiver down his spine.
Then Stormbreaker laughs,“Hey, Thor, where did you say his ship was?”
“We'll regroup first!” Loki snaps quickly before Thor can blurt the location out. Micromanaging Thor's violent tendencies was something he thought he'd finally escaped.
“On my way!” Thor responds quickly and shortly after the destruction in the distance ends, Thor lands softly besides Loki.
Stormbreaker comes blasting up to them and hovers over the asteroid before gliding down. He's covered in black strains from the carnage, which makes his bright blue and brown eyes stand out. “Where is it then?-- What?” He asks with a head tilt at the humans when he notices them staring.
“Uh, nothing.” Rogers says as Romanoff purses her lips into a thin line, her eyes calculating and considering as she observes Stormbreaker.
Loki thinks she might see the same he does.
He doesn't like what he sees in Stormbreakers eyes.
It feels too much like what he saw in the mirror of his cell.
“Okay then,” Stormbreaker says gravely, “Remember that we need to be quick. If the chitauri or outriders get to us we'll get overwhelmed and I won't be able to protect all of you at once. This isn't just about the invasion of New York, this is about everyone in the whole universe. If we don't kill Thanos before he can amass more power all will be lost.”
Stark holds out his armoured hand in a fist. “No pressure, right?” His voice cracks and the other humans roll their eyes, bumping their fists against Stark's, a ritual he'd seen some of the humans under his command do as well.
Stormbreaker grins, “No pressure,” He says and bumps his own fist against Starks, holding it there. “No plan survives first contact, but I believe you are all competent enough for us to succeed.” His fist sneaks up, grabbing Stark by the elbow.
“There will be nothing fear once we have killed Thanos.”
--:--
The Bifrost touches down and their odd gathering is met by silence. Metal and rock shatter around them from the Bifrost's penetration into the ship. Loki blinks and looks around, the insides of the ship looks like a cave of rock with magma flowing through the cracks, metal hug the walls as if holding onto it. At other the end of the room, up a small staircase sits Thanos. He sits still, hand in the air, his head turned to them as he stops conversing with Proxima Midnight at his side. Further away, at the end of the stairs stands her husband Corvus Glaive, his glaive gripped tightly in his hand as he turns. Nebula turns swiftly, batons flicking out with a charge of electricity. The other stands by her, fingers carefully touching each other as he glances at them without worry.
Thanos does not rise, though his hand moves down to his armrest. “So, you are the ones who have been destroying my ships.” There's a seething anger in his voice that sends shivers down his spine as memories come to the forefront. His gaze finds Loki in the group, “Loki, I see you have returned with... company.”
“That's one big baddie.” Stark mutters breathlessly at Loki's side with clear anxiety yet determination. Loki finds himself relating to the lowly creature at this moment, when he wants to run yet fight to be free at the same time. To end the dread in his heart.
Stormbreaker bounces lightly in place, then strides out from the middle of their group with a bright smile, the axe hanging placidly from his fingers. “I am Stormbreaker, formerly Thor Odinson, second born. Former King of the realm known as Asgaard prior to Ragnarok. God of Thunder, Avenger, bringer of Ragnarok, and wielder of the axe Stormbreaker,” he tilts his head back at them, “These are my friends from work, Tony Stark, the Iron man, Steve Rogers, Captain America, Natasha Romanoff, Black Widow, and Maria Hill, vice director of Shield. Then there's Thor Odinson, second born, crown prince of Asgaard, God of Thunder, and wielder of Mjølnir, and Loki, adopted third born, prince of Asgaard, and God of mischief.”
Stormbreaker doesn't halt his stride as he talks, nearing Thanos with a disarming smile that has his children and the other confused whether to attack or stay back.
“I've come from the near future with an important task.” Stormbreaker says as he stops just short of impaling himself on Corvus Glaive's glaive. Loki takes an unconscious step forward, nervous sweat run down his neck.
Thanos stands from his throne, waving for Midnight to come down to hold Stormbreaker at a distance. He watches Stormbreaker, seeing something in his expression that makes look pleased, “And what is this important task?”
“To bring balance.” Stormbreaker says, and Loki feels a stab of fear that he wants to be irrational--
To bring balance.
That is what Thanos would say.
To hear Thor echo those words freezes Loki to the ground. He wants to be rational about it, that Thor could never become one of Thanos' children, that he is too strong.
But he has also seen the sheen of instability in the eyes of this Thor, the way he could mask his emotions well enough that if Loki hadn't caught it, he might never have noticed. The cybernetic--
If Thor had failed Thanos hed replace a part just like--
Loki finds his eyes looking at Nebula and her cybernetic enhancements as Thanos descend the throne. He cannot watch if what the hurt in his chest says is correct. Though he is not focused on them, he can see the way Thanos dwarfs Stormbreaker.
His eyes are drawn to them as Thanos’s eyes flash with satisfaction when Stormbreaker doesn't even so much as twitch at his presence before him. The human’s mutter, Thor making a somewhat confused noise. Loki desperately feels out with his magic, looking for folds in Yggdrasil to escape--
Stormbreaker looks away from Thanos, making eye contact with Midnight, “Sorry Midnight Prox… something,” Stormbreaker shrugs. “But I'm here to kill Thanos.” his arm flashes up, Stormbreaker, the axe slams into Midnight with its dull end. She goes flying, slamming into the wall, it crumbles under the velocity of her body.
The pain in Loki's breast dulls with his satisfaction as he catches the sight of her dark magenta blood.
In the space of Proxima being launched-- killed-- even she shouldn't be able to get up from that-- Stormbreaker has flipped the axe and slashed the blade at Thanos. The titan rears back with shock as Stormbreakers axe swings past where his neck was.
“Don't kill the blue one!” Stormbreaker shouts as he launches himself at Thanos with a shout.
Loki spares no time to be confused as to why Stormbreaker doesn't want a creature as wretched as Nebula to die, as Corvus pounces on their group with a scream of grief, his glaive swings wide at them. Loki swiftly redirects the attack as the humans spring into action against the children of Thanos. Nebula matches up well against Hill and the Captain.
Loki diverts his attention to the Other as the being slips into shadows. He rushes over with his knives as he quickly replaces himself with an illusion. He cannot let the Other touch him. The Other snarls at his illusion, going right through it as Loki comes up from the side and slashes, first cutting the creature over the throat and then embedding his left-hand knife through his skull and into the brain.
Thunder and lightning roar behind him, the room lighting up like a star, casting a long shadow as Loki rips his knife out the Others skull, splattering brain matter onto the floors with a satisfied smirk. The Other falls limply on the flooring, and as Loki looks over he catches the end of Corvus's life as Romanoff drives Corvus’s own weapon up, over and into his chest. Corvus's sags, falling over lifeless as Romanoff gives the glaive in her hand a swift twirl and jerk to get the blood off before resting it at her armpit. Thor has Nebula trapped under Mjølnir, placed on her chest as he stands silent, watching something else.
Loki turns to the bright flashes of light, seeing Stormbreaker in combat for the first time. The axe flies smoothly around in Stormbreakers hands, pushing Thanos back, cutting and chopping at the titan, spilling purple blood without killing, even when it's clear that Stormbreaker could end it at any time. Thanos back wall, his legs stumbling, giving out from all the wounding cuts and lightning strikes Stormbreaker deals out as easy as breathing. Lightning dances off Stormbreaker in long waves that spill all the way over to them. Then finally, Stormbreaker strikes, the axe buries deeply into the Titans torso with a horizontal cut that slips between rips easily. Thanos stops, as he pants for air, Stormbreaker grips his head, bloodied fingers slipping over Thanos' skull, and he speaks.
“Your quest of balance, of creating paradise never succeeded, all you will do is create worse conditions and chaos for all species across the realms. As Protector of the nine realms I, Thor Odinson, sentence you to death.” it's unnecessary, Loki thinks, the formality of how Stormbreaker is dealing with Thanos.
“You should have aimed for the head then!” Thanos snarls, flinging his arms out and pushing Stormbreaker off himself. The other lands a short distance away and holds out the axe, and his body moves as in flight, rushing at Thanos. Lightning and blue energy dances on the weapon as Stormbreaker brings it through one of the Titans arms.
The arm falls and the axe shifts, changing course and ripping into Thanos' neck. Decapitating him instantly. “I remember,” Stormbreaker says darkly. Loki cannot see his face, but his voice is so filled with pure hatred that Loki nearly doesn't trust his own ears.
Loki feels his heart beating unevenly with the victory.
“Thanos will die before he can ever lay his hand on you again” Stormbreaker had said.
And now, Loki thinks, watching Stormbreaker turn and rush towards them. Towards Loki more specifically, Thanos really won't ever be a threat to me.
Loki will survive.